1. Field of the Invention
The identification device pertains to the medical field and then particularly to the field in which sterile products shall be connected together and in which it is of paramount importance that the correct parts are connected, for instance when part of a hose shall be connected to an infusion-type fluid pump. It also includes methods and products to transfer data and software between the part and for example the pump.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,823 makes known a device for joining a connection piece to peristaltic pump. As evident from the descriptive part of the document, one end of a hose is provided with a sleeve for connection to an end of a further hose. The connection sleeve includes a disc-shaped angled collar, which is intended to be received in a slot disposed in a support device and facing towards the disc. The sleeve together with its angled disc functions to fix the hose ends in a correct position relative to the peristaltic pump. Moreover, the angled disc causes an increase in tension forces caused by the pump to result in a self-locking action by virtue of the sleeve being pressed against a seat.
One problem with this device is that hoses can be mixed-up, even when color-marked. Furthermore, unintentional confusion between the hoses can go as far as causing the equipment to be used wrongly in the absence of any indication to the contrary.
Sasse et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,355 disclose a medical device comprising a medical apparatus e.g. a hose cassette for a peristaltic pump, comprising an accessory port including a storage unit wherein coded identification information is stored, wherein only authorized manufacturers will receive a proprietary key for de-coding it. Their aim is to stop the supply of accessory pieces not meeting technical or medical requirements and to stop people from inadmissibly re-using the accessory pieces. Their invention relies on the use of proprietary codes and on the medical device being activated by means of the information stored in an information device. In the invention herein, the function of the identification device also works to identify the correct accessory piece but through giving advice at a display on the medical apparatus, and has been improved so that it also allows specific data related to the equipment to be forwarded to it independent of the features of the identification device. Thus, for example operation of the medical equipment can be re-programmed on request from e.g. manufacturers, medical or technical staff. This is further explained below.
In this respect there are several patent and patent applications disclosing control of medical equipment depending on the information included in the medical device attached to it. However, in no case is the information related to or specific to the calibration, re-programming or the use of the medical equipment itself.
Chin et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,770 discloses a pump assembly wherein a tube set cassette is provided with a ROM containing basic data identifying the type of tube set included into a peristaltic pump. This is used to determine if the tube set was previously used.
Malackowski in WO 2006/036600 goes a bit further. Data associated with the length and diameter of the tube are used to determine how long the pump should be run. In some aspects of his invention the data can be used to regulate priming of the tube and the irrigation device, as well as to regulate speed of the motor/pump head.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,267 teaches that a non-volatile memory may be pre-programmed to store utilization limits and parametric data for the equipment. The equipment is disabled if a utilization limit is exceeded. The parametric data is also used to regulate the power supplied to the equipment.
Carr et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,490 discloses an irrigation/aspiration pump system capable of operating in a plurality of different modes suitable for a variety of different endoscopic surgical procedures. The pump system operates with a selected one of a plurality of tubing sets, each tubing set being adapted to provide irrigation and aspiration for a particular surgical procedure and coded to define the type of procedure for which the tubing set is designed. The code associated with the tubing cassette assures that the parameters, with which the system will be operating, when the chosen tubing set is being used, are those for which the tubing set is designed.
More recently EP 1787606 provides a surgical system and a cassette containing unique information for identifying performance characteristics specific to the cassette. Cassette information that may be encoded includes features such as aspiration/irrigation pressure sensor, calibration data, peristaltic pump flow data, and any other data captured during testing of the cassette during manufacture. Although the information provided in the cassette may affect operation of the surgical system, it is not specific to the pump or medical equipment but to the cassette itself.
Pastrone et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,627 and Friedli et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,498 disclose similar systems in which optical/non optical identification means are utilized to determine the correct performance characteristics required by a pump for a particular cassette. Detectors in the pump detect identification means on the cassette body. Thus, the pump is able to automatically determine which cassette has been installed and to adjust certain parameters to match de cassette.
Neither of the cited references discloses an identification device also allowing re-programming and control of the medical device operation independent of the features of the attached device itself. According an embodiment of the invention herein, the identification device may contain both information related to the device itself and information concerning the medical equipment, the information being used in all cases for regulating the medical equipment functions and operation.
The parent application of this application does neither disclose an identification device also allowing re-programming and control of the medical device operation independent of the features of the attached device itself.